Discovering Street Art in Melbourne, Australia
Waiting at the strict traffic lights, queueing for the famous coffee, looking out the tram windows or strolling in St Kilda were all parts of discovering street art in Melbourne. It’s everywhere, grand, urban and of course, eye-satisfying.
There are great things to do in Melbourne to understand the local culture and finding Melbourne Street Art is a must-do in Australia travel. If coffee is the tasting epitome of the city then Street Art in Melbourne is the observational equivalent.
In this Melbourne street art guide, I’m going to post my very favourite shots around the city with addresses and directions to some of the top places to see street art in Melbourne.
Photo Essay of Discovering Street Art in Melbourne
Contents (jump to)
What’s great about Melbourne street art is that there are dozens of streets to wander through, there’s something new ’round every corner, it’s a form of self-expression and best of all, it’s one of the most fun free things to do in Melbourne!
Hosier Lane for Street Art
One of the top spots for street art in Melbourne is Hosier Lane in the CBD, found behind Federation Square.
In Hosier Lane, there is so much unique street art of Australia that it’s constantly being recreated and often subject of headline news. Early in 2020, I was in Melbourne when Hosier Lane was trending on Twitter because some people (we’ll call them people as their labels differed between artists and vandals) were spray painting over Melbourne’s iconic street art.
Some, calling them guerrillas, seen this as desecrating the iconic Melbourne street of culture while others argued that this was a form of art itself and paved the way for new street art and artists. What do you think?
Fun fact: Ed Sheeran once played an impromptu gig on Hosier Lane!
Street Art on AC/DC Lane
AC/DC Lane is another iconic street art area of Melbourne, the Australian band namesake and home of the venue Cherry Bar.
Read Next: The Best Things to do in Melbourne, Australia
Duckboard Place Street Art
My favourite public art in Melbourne is found on Duckboard Place right next to AC/DC Lane art.
If you love capturing street art then you’ll love this post about Instagrammable places in Melbourne!
Free Things to See in Melbourne? Go to these Streets:
Street Art with Faces in Melbourne
I’ve walked past huge artwork of faces around Melbourne and these are a few of the best with the street art addresses below.
Read This: How to Get a WHV for Melbourne, Australia
Things to Note about Melbourne Street Art
- In almost every artwork you see, the artist will usually leave their name / tag so look out for that. I even noticed a certain artists’ work before I seen their tag because of the similarities in their work.
- There was some Street Art I walked past everyday but never took a picture. Such as Carl Cox on Acland Street. Take the picture, you don’t know when you’ll see it next!
- The whole Instagram V Reality comes into play when you find street art. There are queues for famous murals to capture your picture and requires skill to get pictures without featuring herds of tourists. See an example of a queue below.
If you’ve marvelled at this street art guide for Melbourne then you’ll be able to find street art in Melbourne, no problem. Note down the street names from this post and do a self-guided street art tour of Melbourne!
What was once seen as graffiti has in recent times become part of a city’s culture and known as street art in a post-graffiti world.
My Australia Travel Blog Posts:
Great Ocean Road 2 Day Itinerary
Exploring South Yarra: A Melbourne Suburb
Your First Week in Melbourne, Australia
Why I Had to Leave Australia 🙁
My Melbourne Asian Street Food Market Challenge
Bottomless Brunch Review: Fargo & Co
St Kilda Day Trip from Melbourne
Everything Fun To Do in Melbourne, Australia
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